GrantRadar

The Steel Charitable Trust

Luton Matters Programme

The Steel Charitable Trust's programme for work that benefits the town and residents of Luton, to which it intends to give around half its grants budget for five years from 2025. Grants are at least £10,000 a year and unlikely to exceed £50,000 a year, restricted or unrestricted, one-off or multi-year (usually up to three years). It is not aimed at any particular cohort or issue; applicants describe how their work aligns with Luton Council's 2040 objectives. Entry is by a short Expression of Interest, open only from 1 to 23 October 2026.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£10,000 – £50,000
Closes in
5 days left
23 October
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • UK-registered charities or exempt charities (or Scottish/Northern Irish equivalents), CICs or other formally structured not-for-profit organisations, based in Luton or elsewhere, seeking funding for work wholly or mainly delivered within the Luton town boundary for the benefit of the town and its residents
  • Applicants must have had income of at least £50,000 in the previous financial year, shown in at least one full year of accounts, and seek at least £10,000 a year
  • A grant is unlikely where the yearly amount exceeds 20% of the applicant's previous year's income
  • Only one application in any 12-month period
  • Criteria stated correct as at 04/03/2026

What it funds

  • Restricted funding: specifically stated running or capital costs, such as contributions to a salary for a named role, detailed IT upgrades or a building renovation
  • New project costs or contributions towards on-going projects or programmes
  • Unrestricted funding, which the organisation may allocate as it chooses

What it will not fund

  • Work where religious practice, worship or proselytizing is overt or the main objective
  • Work that is overtly connected to political parties
  • Work that has already taken place
  • Applications from individuals, political parties or recently-registered charities without a year's accounts
  • Grants of under £10,000 a year (smaller requests should go to Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation)

How to apply

  1. Read the Luton Matters guidance notes and application process pages and preview the Expression of Interest questions
  2. Register on the Trust's BenefactorCloud portal via the Apply button
  3. Submit the Expression of Interest between 1 October 2026 (2.30pm) and 23 October 2026 (23:59); no supporting documents are needed at this stage
  4. Trustees review EOIs in December and either decline, invite a full application, or hold the EOI for up to six months
  5. If invited, attend a virtual meeting with a Trustee and usually the Director, then submit the full application with supporting documents

The Trust cannot offer individual advice, meetings or calls before the EOI; questions go to the Director via the website contact form.

Have ready

  • Most recent accounts
  • Grant funding plan and budget (an existing similar document is fine)
  • Safeguarding policy or policies
  • Privacy policy
  • Governing document (except registered charities)

Documents are only needed at the invited full-application stage, not for the EOI.

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